


He's Getting Out of the Barrio

by orphan_account



Series: You're Gonna Change the World Someday (But For Now Let's Start With the Campus) [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda, In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, M/M, sonny is off to college and usnavi isn't ready
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonny is moving into his new dorm, Usnavi cries, and Sonny meets his new roommate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's Getting Out of the Barrio

**Author's Note:**

> Sonny is 18, Usnavi is 26, takes place three years after the musical

“You’re sure you’re ok?” Usnavi asked for what was probably the millionth time. “You don’t need anything else? Got all your stuff?” He shifted, looking around the small dorm room. He hated to admit it, but he was pretty sure it was bigger than his old room in the Heights. “You have your phone charger and everything? You’re gonna call, right-?”

“Cuz,” Sonny interrupted, trying his best to look annoyed but ultimately failing, a grin cracking across his face. “I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry so much.”

“Well, yeah, but what if-“

“ _ Cuz, _ ” Sonny stressed, and Usnavi had to physically bite his tongue to keep himself from talking. “I’ll call you every week, don’t worry.”

Usnavi looked around the dorm again, sighing heavily. The bare walls seeming cold and foreboding, but Sonny’s bedding was from his room, back at home. Usnavi had wanted to buy him new ones, but Sonny had shook his head and said, “Nah, you’re already paying for my tuition. Plus, I… it kind of reminds me of home,” and that had been the end of the conversation.

There was a desk with scratches and bumps and stains, and a suitcase full of clothes, most of which were spray painted t-shirts, even though Usnavi had fought against it. There were small things, photos and books and a phone charger already plugged into the wall. The other side of the room was mostly bare. Sonny’s roommate hadn’t arrived yet, and his mother had already said her goodbyes, pride glowing brightly from her eyes.

“Three times a week,” Usnavi said, in what he hoped was a firm tone. He got the feeling it was too shaky to suffice.

Sonny rolled his eyes. “ _ Fine, _ three times.”

“And three times to your mother. She deserves to know what’s going on with you.”

Sonny rolled his eyes but nodded, and Usnavi nodded back. He felt hot pinpricks in his eyes and he had to turn around and pretend to be interested in the calendar on the wall. He tried not to sniffle, but it sounded way too loud in the dorm. God, he was such a sap. He’d cried like a baby at Nina and Benny’s wedding.

“Cuz, you alright?” Sonny asked, and he sounded so young. Usnavi pressed the heel of his hand on his eye and took a deep, shaky breath.

He swore it was only a few years ago that his parents passed. Only a few years since he started running the bodega, Abuela and Sonny’s side of the family almost coddling him. A few years since Sonny started working for him, holding down the fort when he couldn’t – during the blackout, after his parents died, then after Abuela died. Every time he looked at those big eyes – that ratty baseball cap, the too-big shirts, the cheeky grins – he couldn’t help but see him as a kid, just a kid struggling through grade school, then middle school, then pulling his shit together and graduating high school with A’s and B’s.

He’d been a kid a few days ago, and now he was going to college, living on his own, forging his own way in life.

He didn’t realize he was crying until Sonny put his hand on his shoulder and asked, “Usnavi, ¿Qué pasa?”

“Nada,” he muttered, his voice thick, “It’s just… I don’t know, it’s…”

“It’s what? Cuz, you can tell me,” Sonny gently wheedled, and Usnavi had to laugh, his eyes crinkling and causing a few tears to fall. He was always amazed by how much compassion his cousin had for other people.

“It’s just… you’re all grown up,” he said, and he was both heartbroken and incredibly proud. “You’re going to college; you’re getting a degree! Political Science, I’m pretty sure not even Abuela saw that coming.”

“Heh,” Sonny muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, his face getting red. “I mean, it’s really not that big of a deal. I’ll probably chicken out at the last minute and change degrees or something. Or I’ll get kicked out because I’m not smart enough.” And now his face was on the verge of panic, and  _ he _ was the one breathing raggedly. “Maybe they’ll realize they messed up my scholarships, or- or they’ll pull up some dirt on me to kick me out, or-“

“Sonny,” Usnavi said, and it came out as a wet laugh. Sonny looked at him indignantly, almost offended. Usnavi shook his head, dragging his shirt over his eyes one more time before putting both hands on Sonny’s shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes. “You’re smart, cuz, you know that right? You’re ambitious and charismatic and smart. You’ll do great, I know you will. You’ll change the world someday.”

Sonny’s eyes looked red and glassy and he let out a sob as he buried his face into Usnavi’s chest, his arms wrapped around him so tightly it was hard to breathe. They both stood there, hiccupping and crying, for a good few minutes.

Usnavi was so proud, because he knew his cousin would succeed. He’d make new friends, he’d live his life, and goddamn if Usnavi wasn’t going to watch him like a hawk, making sure he was studying and not out partying or something. Washington Heights was only a half hour away by train, and though he’d probably have to hire someone else to work at the bodega with him now that Sonny was going to college (college! The first one to go on his side of the family, his mother was so proud.), he was going to take every chance he got to visit his cousin.

“Um…” a voice broke into their cousin moment, and Usnavi swore he jumped at least a foot in the air. “Am I… interrupting something?”

“No! No,” Sonny said, wiping his face hurriedly, glowing a bright red. “Usted no está- I mean you’re not, uh, interrupting anything.”

Usnavi covered his mouth and snickered at how awkward Sonny looked, his face bright red and his eyes flicking all over the stranger that had just walked in – over his curls and clean shirt and jeans, his… suitcase.

“Well, I’m your roommate, I guess,” he said, and Sonny nodded, surging forward to shake his hand even though they were both weighed down by miscellaneous items.

They all tumbled to the ground as Sonny said, “Oh, yeah, you must be Philip. I’m Sonny De La Vega, nice to meet you- er, in person at least. I mean we already emailed each other- you seem like a chill dude, I think we’ll get along, er, as long as you don’t stay up to ungodly hours and blast terrible music or something-“

“Sonny,” Usnavi interrupted, and his cousin looked relieved that Usnavi had stopped the word vomit pouring out of his mouth. “I’m going to go down and wait with your mom. Once you’re all done here we can go eat something. Then… I don’t know, I’ll probably head back home.”

“Y-yeah, cuz, right, sounds good,” Sonny stuttered, almost looking betrayed that Usnavi would leave him at his time of need. Usnavi let out a laugh and gave his cousin a quick hug before walking out of the dorm into the hallway.

He had almost gotten to the end of the hallway when another person rounded the corner, and Usnavi let out an undignified yelp as he dodged out of the way of the person – they were holding three boxes stacked on top of one another – just barely avoiding getting knocked over.

“Ah! Sorry, I can’t see a damn thing,” the person behind the boxes said, as they tried to look beyond them. “Do you know where room-“

“Pops!” Philip yelled somewhere down the hall. “It’s over this way!”

“Oh, right, I knew that!” Philip’s father yelled back and muttered another quick sorry to Usnavi before walking towards the dorm.

Usnavi continued walking through the building, shaking his head and hoping he remembered where the entrance was.

**Author's Note:**

> I might write more of this? Who knows honestly


End file.
